


Michael Mell, Ace Ace

by lucythewizbard



Series: Aroace Michael [1]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Angst, Aroace Michael!!, Aromantic Michael Mell, Asexual Character, Asexual Michael Mell, Asexuality, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, It's a big multi-layered oreo of fluff and angst with a happy ending, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28062147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucythewizbard/pseuds/lucythewizbard
Summary: "I didn't mean I never wanted to date anyone!"Michael looked down, his next words nothing more than a whisper. "I did."In which Michael is ace and everyone has a (mostly) fun time.
Relationships: Christine Canigula & Michael Mell, Christine Canigula/Jeremy Heere, Jeremy Heere & Michael Mell
Series: Aroace Michael [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055624
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	Michael Mell, Ace Ace

Michael Mell had known for years that he was… different, somehow. He suspected it in fourth grade, when his classmates giggled over Valentine’s Day cards and candy hearts.

And by sixth grade, he was certain. It seemed that the world had no place for him, and before long, he stopped trying to find one. He found his own worlds, eventually, in music and games that filled his lonely hours at school. The old ones were his favorite: arcade games forgotten by time, songs relegated to “oldies” stations on the radio. Maybe it was because, like him, they were often ignored. Or maybe they just did it better back then. (Michael certainly preferred the latter explanation.) And so life went on.

Then, halfway through seventh grade, something changed. In the middle of homeroom, with a good ten minutes left before class started, the teacher called them all to attention.

“A new student is joining our class today-”

Oh. Nothing important then. Michael returned to his music, sighing at the needless interruption. But before he could even finish the song, there was a tap on his shoulder. He jolted up. Standing above him was…

“Transfer kid?”

“Uh, um… can I sit here?” The boy motioned at the empty seat. God, he looked nervous. Then again, that wasn’t Michael’s problem.

“Nobody’s stopping you.”

“Oh.” Transfer Kid sat down without another word.

\---

“Hey.”

It had been a week now since Transfer Kid’s arrival. They had exchanged only the briefest of conversations: _Where can I find my locker? Over in the 2400s. Where’s that? Out the door to the left. Thanks. Sure._ Why he suddenly wanted to make conversation during first period, Michael didn’t know. “...What.”

“Is that SwordQuest?” He pointed at one of the pins on Michael’s backpack.

“Oh, um, yeah. You play?”

“Yeah! Well, no. I mean-” He took a deep breath. “I haven’t played before, but I really want to!”

Michael hesitated. _Is this a trap? What would he even get out of it? I hardly know who he is. Then again, it would be nice to have someone else to play with…_ “I have it. You could come over and try it sometime… if you want.”

“Really? That would be awesome!”

He couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. How about after school tomorrow?”

\---

Michael pushed through the door with more energy than usual. “Mom! I invited a friend over for tomorrow!”

“That’s wonderful, sweetie,” came the reply from upstairs. “What’s their name?”

“Um.” He stopped dead in his tracks. “I… forgot to ask.”

Laughter echoed through the hallway.

He crossed his arms. “It wasn’t _that_ funny.”

<Eighth Grade>

“Ugh, why can’t anyone shut up about their stupid prom dates?” Jeremy groaned, face in his hands. “It’s all I’ve heard about for _days_. What’s so great about dating anyway?”

 _Wait. Could that mean…_ “So you think so too?”

“Huh? Think what?”

“Think that love is overrated!” Michael could hardly contain his excitement now. “I always thought I was the only one who didn’t… _get it_ , y’know?”

“Yeah, I guess I don't get it either." Jeremy sank into a warm smile. “So... what now?"

Michael grinned. “I say we skip the dance entirely. I've got some sweet new games we could be playing instead."

\---

“There has to be something embarrassing you’ve done.”

“It’s… not important.”

“Come on, dude, it can’t be worse than mine.”

Jeremy sighed. “Remember when I first transferred here? I, uh, lied about SwordQuest.”

“What? You loved that game more than I did!”

“Yeah, after I found out about it! But I had never even heard of SwordQuest until I saw the logo on your backpack. I looked it up so I’d have something to talk to you about.”

Michael was silent for a second. “That’s, like… the nicest thing anyone has done for me. And the dumbest.”

<Freshman Year>

“Earth to Jeremy." Michael waved his hand in his friend's face. “What's got you so distracted?"

“Look over there." Jeremy pointed cautiously at a girl in a blue sundress. “Leah Cooper. She's in our English class, remember?"

Michael scratched his head. “Leah... isn't she the one who left those weird poems all over the room during lunch? That was so-"

“Cute?"

“I was gonna say weird." Michael was on edge now. Something was wrong.

“Wait- oh no, she's walking over here! Act natural!" Jeremy shoved his sandwich in his mouth and looked down at the table a little too quickly.

Michael glanced at him, then back at the girl. _Maybe Jeremy just wants to make friends with her. And he's nervous all the time, so this isn't weird or anything. He probably just needs a hand._ “Hey, Leah!"

She caught his eye for a second, glared, and walked away.

Jeremy lifted his head from the table, blushing furiously. “Dude! What was that for?"

Michael shrank in his chair. “...To make friends with her?"

“I don't just want to be her friend! I was gonna ask her out! And you blew it!"

_Oh. Oh no._

Suddenly, the incessant chatter of the cafeteria was drilling into his head. _It's too loud. I need to get out_ . He could see Jeremy saying something. The words didn't reach him. _Too loud._ Blinking back tears, he grabbed his backpack and launched into the crowd. _Too loud._ He fumbled his headphones over his ears. And at last, the world went quiet.

He was outside the school now, tucked into a corner between two buildings, his back pressed against the cold brick wall. A jaunty tune echoed from his tinny headphone speakers, but the music's cheer made him angry. He yanked the cord from his phone and sat in silence, with his head buried in his sleeves. If a few tears happened to soak the fabric... well, he wasn't paying enough attention to notice.

\---

“Michael? Michael!"

He looked up. Someone was running toward him. He pulled off his headphones and waited.

“Mi, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Jeremy stood over him, looking equally relieved and annoyed. “Lunch ended ten minutes ago, and you're late for English. Ms. Wethers sent me to find you."

Michael slumped. “Go back without me. Then you can hang out with your _crush_."

“Dude, what is..." Jeremy trailed off with a look of dawning realization. “Is this about… middle school?"

He nodded.

“That wasn't- I didn’t mean that I _never_ wanted to date anyone!”

Michael looked down, his next words nothing more than a whisper. “I did.”

For a moment, there was silence. Jeremy sat down beside him.

“So you're just... not into girls? Like, at all?"

“No," Michael answered miserably.

“...not guys either?"

“No," he said again, his face hot. “Not even a little. I guess I really am just... broken."

“What?" Jeremy's surprise caught him off guard. “Michael, I never said you were _broken_. You're just different! And I may not have understood that at first, but I do now. You're not broken, you're just... you."

“But- but-" His head was spinning. “You're going to get a girlfriend, and then I'll be alone again."

“I'm never leaving you behind. I promise." And Jeremy wrapped him up in a hug.

\---

“So, I was thinking about what you told me the other day..."

“Yeah?"

Jeremy shifts in his chair. “Well, it's just- I figured that if there's a word for liking both genders, there's probably one for liking neither. So I did some research, and uhh..."

“And what?"

“I think you might be asexual. And aromantic maybe? I'm not totally clear on the distinction, and I can't exactly draw from experience. But, uh. I hope that helps?"

Michael already has his phone out, looking up the new terminology. “Oh my god. Ohhhh my god. This is perfect! Jer, you're the best friend ever!"

He shrugged. “It was just a few Google searches. I’m kind of surprised you didn’t already know.”

“We’re not talking about my past mistakes here,” Michael groaned. “Just shut up and let me appreciate you.”

\---

“And I won't call you out in front of your crush. When they're not around, though..."

“Don't you dare."

Michael smirked. “Unlimited teasing rights."

“Noooooo!" Jeremy fell to the table dramatically. “That's not even fair! You don't have a crush for me to tease _you_ about!"

“Ace privilege, babey."

<Junior Year: Halloween>

“Jer, I’m just worried about you, please-”

“I’m not your f*cking boyfriend!”

Michael winced at the loud noise. “S- so?”

“So-” Jeremy gritted his teeth. “So stop acting like it. Like you want me to die on this hill with you! I am in _love_ with Christine. _You’re_ just my friend. Or at least, you used to be. _Loser_.”

People liked to say that words could cut like a knife. To Michael, those last four had been more like a guillotine: swift, decisive, and unflinching. He watched in stunned silence as his only friend - scratch that, _former_ only friend - stormed away and slammed the door.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. The tears hadn’t escaped his eyes just yet. _Deep breaths. It’s going to be-_

A burst of laughter tore through from outside, followed by the sound of shouting. Michael forced another breath, _in_ and _out_ , trying to tune out the party chatter, but it was no use. Everything was _too loud_ … just like it had been, years ago, in the cafeteria. _Too loud_ . He fumbled for his headphones, but found nothing. He vaguely remembered leaving them at home, wanting to fit in at the party… _Idiot. Can’t even handle being in the same_ house _as people without your stupid headphones._ His head was spinning now. _You weren’t good enough for him_ , the nagging voice continued. _You’re not good enough for anybody. Love is always going to be-_

Tears were rolling down his face. He had to think. Nobody could see him like this. Not now. He pushed himself across the room, locked the door, and sat down on the toilet to cry.

\---

“Warning! Warning! Warning!”

Michael looked up as the bizarre sound snapped him back to reality. _What the hell was that?_ He listened for it again, but the house was nearly silent - the party must be over. He would hide here forever if he could, but he had regained enough sense to know he needed to leave before someone found him.

The bathroom door swung open slowly, revealing a hallway littered with beer cans and candy wrappers. There, standing across from him, was…

“Rich?”

There was a manic smile on his face. “Heyyyy there-” he squinted- “headphones boy! Got any Mountain Dew Red?”

“Um.” _What. The. Hell._ “Yeah, I have some at-”

Suddenly, Rich was pressing toward him, grabbing him by the shirt collar and making uncomfortable eye contact. “Holy sh*t, dude. Give it to me, quick. I need- I have to stop-”

Michael knew there had been drugs at the party, but… this was worse than drugs. “You have a SQUIP.” Half question, half statement of fact. It came out barely more than a whisper.

Rich nodded. “You gotta help me.”

Michael could have walked away right there. This was the guy who had laughed at him in the hallways since sophomore year. Who had somehow turned “tall” into an insult for the express purpose of bothering Jeremy. Who had made half the school think he was dating his best friend. And who, he suspected, had gotten said friend into this SQUIP nonsense in the first place. He had no love for Rich Goranski.

But now, the kid standing in front of him _wasn’t_ Rich Goranski, not really, not any more than he was Michael Mell. They were both just… people, afraid and alone. And becoming less lucid by the second, judging by the way Rich’s eyes glazed over.

“No, no, no!” Michael muttered. “Rich, come on dude, stay with me. I’ll get you the Mountain Dew, we just gotta get to my house-”

<Junior Year: The Play>

Michael wasn’t sure why he was here.

He knew, in a technical sense, it was because he got up, told his mom he was going to watch the play, and walked all the way to school in the cold November air. But _why_ ? He wasn’t a theater person, certainly. There wasn’t even anyone to make fun of the actors with - not that the mean-spirited entertainment appealed to him anymore. Maybe he was hoping Jeremy would see him in the crowd and ask for forgiveness… or maybe he was hoping to see his former friend miserable on the stage, so he could at least have the satisfaction of _I told you so_.

He had given up on trying to tell the difference.

\---

“I was just in the audience, thinking, ‘This is pretty good for a school play!’ Then I was like, ’This is way too good for a school play!’” Michael spilled with a laugh. The details of the night were almost ridiculous enough to distract from the danger at hand. _Almost_. “They’ve all been Squipped, right?”

Jeremy nodded urgently, then paused. “W-wait, you came to see me in the play?”

And _oh, God_ . Michael was supposed to be _angry_ , he’d been angry since Halloween, he could be demanding an apology- but Jeremy was _smiling_. And it was a genuine smile, better than anything the SQUIP could make. The whole school was on the brink of catastrophe and Jeremy was just happy that his best friend wanted to see him perform. There would be a day for apologies, but right now, all Michael could do was grin.

“Even brought my own refreshments!”

<Junior Year: After the Play>

“But you know what really got me? It wasn’t being called a loser; I already knew that. It was the thought that I’d never be someone’s first pick. That romance would always be more important to them. To you. I don’t want to be second place my whole life.”

“Michael…” He hesitated. “Back there, at the party, that wasn’t me. It wasn’t what I wanted.”

“I know, I know.” He sighed. “It’s not your fault, the SQUIP took over-”

“No.” Jeremy shook his head. “Not back then it didn’t. It just… it got in my head. It told me what you just said, that love had to come first, and I believed it. I thought that if I had Christine, I could be happy.”

Michael’s face darkened. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because,” Jeremy said, “I am so, _so_ sorry. I’m sorry that I thought those things at all, I’m sorry I forgot what it was like to be alone with no friends, and I’m sorry for everything that happened to you. You didn’t deserve it.”

“…Neither did you.” 

“So… friends?”

“Friends.”

\---

“Fine, you can have him on his birthday.” Michael sat back in his chair. “But the first day of spring break is all mine.”

Christine glared at him across the flimsy table. “You drive a hard bargain, Mell. I’ll take it.”

“I’m right here, you guys. I can hear you.” Jeremy rolled his eyes.

Christine turned to face him, mock-serious. “Shh. We’re in the middle of _business negotiations_.”

“Sounds more like a custody battle to me.”

“The ways of the business world are quite mysterious,” Michael said, waving his hands.

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes you just vibe so hard with your ace headcanon that you gotta write a fic about it. That's all.


End file.
